When we hear about ghosts from World War One or World War Two, we think of horrible battles, and heroic soldiers fighting beyond their time. Or we think about the "Angels of Mons", where British Soldiers were reported to fought with angels by their side, ultimately winning the battle. But sometimes, the most poignant and heroic ghosts aren't soldiers...The photo above is of Boris Cherkirov and his wife, taken in the early 1950's after WW II ended. In the upper right corner appears to be aghostly figure of a young girl. The photo was analyzed by Eastman Kodak Professional Laboratory, and deed to have been untampered, and authentic. But the picture is only part of the story- a story that starts during the war.
Boris Cherkirov lived in a village called Klyzma just outside of Moscow. This village, like many others in the area was swapped back and forth between German and Russian control repeatedly during the war- sometimes on an hourly basis. Sitting on the Ucha River, it had strategic value as a crossing point due to a shallow area of the river nearby. Basically, a one street village, with roughly a dozen building, there is a cemetary just on the outskirts of the village by the church.
Cherkirov was a foreman at the Klyzma Tractor Factory during the war. Due to an accident that cose him his left hand, he was unable to serve in the Red Army against the Germans when they invaded Russia in 1941. He and his wife did their part for the war effort by working at the factory, producing tank motors instead of tractors. The two had a six year old little girl named Valentina.
One day, while Valentina was gathering berries, she heard a deep rumbling sound that reminded her of the tractors her father built at the factory... except there were a lot more "tractors" than she thought there should be. Wondering what so many "tractors" would like in a large group, she went to investigate. What she was wasn't tractors, but the first wave of Hitler's war machine rumbling towards the crossing point of the Ucha River... tanks...
Young Valentina knew what tanks were from the parades held in Moscow on Revolution Day. Even though she didn't understand the concept, she knew there was a war going on. Her father had told her what the black crosses on the tank hull meant- that people were coming to harm her family and friends. She also knew what had to be done- she had to warn her village.
Like all the other villages in the area, Klyzma had a siren that was hand operated. It was meant to summon the fire brigade. During wartime, it was used as an air raid siren, or to sound an approaching attack. It was to this siren that little Valentina raced in an effort to protect those she loved.
At first, she had difficulty turning the hand crank that would sound the alarm, but she kept struggling and fighting with it until finally, the high whine echoed out and across the village- a mournful wail that screamed, "Help! Danger!" At the factory, Boris, his wife, and others heard the cry of the alarm, and ran to see what was the matter.
The distant rumble of the tanks could be heard, so Boris and the other workers armed themselves. Valentina's mother used the phone at the factory to summon help. An artillery shell hit the alarm platform, destroying it completely. Dispite not knowing who gave the alarm, the factory workers prepared to fight off the approaching troops. They held off the Germany company until a flight of Russian dive bombers arrived to end the battle.
While the battle raged, nobody thought to look for little Valentina- assuming she hid during the fighting. They were unaware that she was the one who sounded the alarm, and was on the platform when the artillery shells struck it. Afterwards, while searching through the rubble of the platform, all that was found of the heroic little girl was her pail and a tiny shoew.
Boris was awarded the Order of the Hero of the Sovie Union for leading the factory workers in the defence of Klyzma. After the war, he simply hung the medal around the simple monument raised in memory of Valentina Cherkirov. The inscription on the marker reads:
"Cherkirova, Valentina Borisovna, 18 April, 1935 - 25 June, 1941.
Our Little Hero"
Boris and his wife attend to the grave everyday around sundown. They are always accompanied by a little girl- aged about six or seven. While the couple stand in memory of their daughter, the little girl will quietly play in the snow or sand, depending on the time of the year. Visitors to the small village, passing by have often reported that the couple will turn to the leave, and the little girl will wave good bye to the couple before slowly fading from sight. While others see her, the grieving couple are unaware that their l"Little Hero" is still with them...
